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Each year, Vancouver Foundation’s Grants and Community Initiatives team works closely with our volunteer Advisory Committee members to make discretionary grants to charities and other qualified donees across the province. We do this primarily through our broad-based and responsive Field of Interest...

Vancouver Foundation is pleased to announce a series of upcoming information sessions in early April for potential grantees in our Health and Social Development field. These sessions will give an overview of our Field of Interest Grants program, our focus on funding social innovations , and the...

A new café has popped up in downtown Vancouver, serving up hot entrees, sandwiches, soups and salads to a busy lunch crowd. While ordinarily this wouldn’t be news, Café 335 is different: the affordable social enterprise eatery is staffed by graduates of the Culinary Skills Training Program, a...

A new bike park for the Boothroyd Indian Band is teaching local kids to do much more than grinds and flips. It’s 8:30 on a Saturday morning in July, just a few kilometres north of Boston Bar. The day is clear and promises to be a scorcher. In a dirt pit just a stone’s throw from the Boothroyd...

She was an easy target. Gentle and wide-eyed, Cheryl Bosola Olamijulo was the new girl in class—and the only black kid in her entire Surrey, BC high school. Her family had emigrated from Nigeria in 2009 looking for a better life, but it wasn’t working out better for Cheryl. “I was always very shy,...

It’s just a pair of socks. But Matthew Taylor knows those two bits of grey wool could make the difference between a good decision and a bad date tonight for a young man on the rain-slicked streets of downtown Vancouver. Taylor and another outreach worker are walking through downtown south and...

Alethea’s a lucky girl. The petite three-year-old clambers up the metal steps, then gleefully launches herself down the slide. That might seem ordinary enough. But Alethea is blind, and many kids like her don’t know the simple joy of movement. That’s because physical activity – even sliding down a...

A 13-year-old cooks all the meals for her three siblings because her alcoholic parents are often incapable of caring for their children ... A 12-year-old does her best to take care of her mentally ill mother ... A 16-year-old feeds and bathes his ailing grandfather ... This is the secret world of...

Shea Jim is standing on the pitcher’s mound at Nat Bailey Stadium. At nine years old, she’s almost lost in this huge field of green. The people in the stands, including her family, can barely pick her out. She’s calm, waiting. It’s July 31. The Vancouver Canadians are taking on the Salem- Keizer...

Special Olympics BC Meet 4 year old Oliver Sutherland, an athlete in training. Oliver is getting a chance to work on his basic motor skills with the Active Start program that is available for children with disabilities between the ages of 2 to 6. The program provides parents with education and fun...

University students lead busy lives, often working while going to school. Imagine being a parent on top of that and struggling to find daycare for your child. The SFU Childcare Centre is popular with both students and faculty for their convenience and excellent care. Because of the success, they’re...

“We kick, punch, elbow strike…” And the teachers at this summer camp encourage it. Many children with developmental disabilities need encouragement. They often feel different and isolated. That’s why Richmond Committee on Disability has created a martial arts summer camp program that gives children...

KidSafe provides healthy meals, learning and fun activities for children in Vancouver’s inner city. The program is geared towards vulnerable kids, giving them a place to go after school and an opportunity to try new things. “If you aren’t doing well at school or things aren’t good at home, it’s...

Never in her wildest dreams did 10-year old Kelyn Clowes think that breaking a board would be on her list of summer accomplishments. But after summer camp training at Master Sirota’s Martial Arts Centre in Richmond, Kelyn was effortlessly chopping boards in half with her tiny hand. In her second...

SWOVA and Howe Sounds Women's Centre Vancouver Foundation understands the importance of violence prevention and funded two worthy initiatives aimed at curbing violence in our society. The Respectful Relationships program is the brainchild of Saltspring Women Opposed to Violence and Abuse. The...

Zajac Ranch Each year Zajac Ranch welcomes hundreds of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities. With facilities to accommodate their health needs the kids are able to focus on making friends and having fun. The ranch is uniquely designed to meet the needs and abilities of all campers no...

Emma's Daycare High school education is the foundation for adult life. Emma’s Daycare, provided on-site at Sir Charles Tupper School, helps make it easier for teenage mothers to finish their education. At the same time, their children get quality early learning experiences that make a difference...

Abbotsford Community Services It’s never too early for kids to start enjoying reading and learning. ABC-123 is a pre-school program that focuses on literacy. With all of the play of a typical pre-school, they take every opportunity to enhance literacy skills. The Program, which runs in five...

Vancouver Humane Society Leslie Fox, from the Vancouver Humane Society teaches youth to think critically about how their food choices affect the environment. Typically people see animal rights as separate from environmental and human rights issues. “This is a great opportunity to take animal issues...

Access to health care can be difficult in remote, rural areas. But thanks to technology, patients can avoid a trip to larger cities and still get help, counselling and answers to their questions about their illness. “I think the service they offer is just as adequate as if we were to sit in the...